Tuesday, 6 August 2013

Transport for London have let us know that they have decided it is possible to construct the Northern Line Extension without digging shafts at Radcot Street and Harmsworth Street. This is excellent news - the shafts would have caused major disruption in those streets and the streets around them.

Their alternative construction method will be to dig two 'gallery tunnels' separate from the main tunnel, from which ground stabilisation work will take place. When construction is finished the gallery tunnels will be filled in. The gallery tunnels will be dug from the permanent shafts at Kennington Green and Kennington Park - it will mean a slightly longer construction period at these sites.

This is great news for the streets around the temporary construction shafts, but Lambeth will be continuing to push TfL to minimise disruption, reduce noise from construction and the trains, and agree the best possible plans for reinstating Kennington Green and Kennington Park.

Email from TfL:

I am writing further to our recent application for a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) and the expiry of the representation period to update you that the Secretary of State for Transport has made a decision to hold a public inquiry to consider our application (see footnotes for details of the process) and to advise you of some amendments we have made to the proposals for the Northern line extension (NLE).

These changes have been made in response to consultation feedback, following further engagement with the local authorities of Southwark and Lambeth and the completion of further engineering feasibility work.

The TWAO application includes powers for two potential construction methods (via underground ‘gallery’ tunnels or temporary surface shafts at Harmsworth Street and Radcot Street) to connect the old tunnels to the new NLE tunnels and to stabilise the ground. Both of these have been assessed in the Environmental Statement (ES).

Following further feasibility work, a decision has been taken by TfL to remove the temporary shafts proposed at Harmsworth Street and Radcot Street on the basis they are no longer required. This means that no above ground works will be undertaken at either of these locations and construction works will be progressed from the proposed worksites at Kennington Park and Kennington Green instead. The impacts of this change have already been assessed and reflected in the ES.

Consultation in autumn 2012 on the proposals for a permanent shaft and head house at Kennington Park demonstrated some support for the inclusion of a new community building adjacent to the proposed head house.

Following discussions with Lambeth, TfL has agreed to remove the community building from the scheme on the basis Lambeth would prefer to support existing community facilities in the surrounding area. TfL will amend its proposals for the area by increasing landscaping in the part of the park which was previously taken up by the community building.

With regard to the bee keeping and other community activities carried out by Bee Urban at the Old Lodge site, Lambeth and Friends of Kennington Park are in discussion with Bee Urban about agreeing a new site elsewhere in the park. This would provide facilities for Bee Urban on a more permanent basis irrespective of permission being granted to build the NLE and in advance of the start of construction. It would also avoid Bee Urban having to move twice.

The changes to the scheme set out above will be reflected in an addendum to the NLE TWAO environmental statement which is intended to be submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport on 27 August 2013. In line with the TWAO process, the addendum will be subject to a further six week representation period where comments can be made to the Secretary of State for Transport. We will contact you again with details of where the document can be viewed and how to make a representation.

Yours sincerely

Richard de CaniTransport for London

Next steps

The Secretary of State announced on 16 July 2013 that a public inquiry will be held to consider our application. This is likely to start this autumn.

Those who have objected to the scheme should have been notified of this decision by the Department for Transport and asked if they would like to take their representations and comments further and present evidence verbally at the inquiry. If this is something you would like to do, you will be asked to provide a written statement (statement of case) to outline the full details of the case that you want to present to the inquiry. This should be received by the Secretary of State and TfL within six weeks of the announcement of the inquiry (so by 27 August 2013).

As the applicant, TfL will also be required to submit a statement of case.